Safety car coupler



March 5, 1929. w, A MccuRnY SAFETY CAR GOUPLER Filed March 28, '1927 0f. ,w y, www Tmc@ M W 9 d W Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

WILLIAM AfMGCURDY, 0F VIRGINIA, MINNESOTA.'

SAFETY CAR COUPLER.

Application filed March 28, 1927. Serial No. 178,886.

This invention relates to an improved railroad draft appliance and more particularly to a safety draft appliance in which injury to the operator is prevented through accidental introduction of parts ot' his body between the parts of the mechanism.

Draft appliances now-in use usually comprise a coupler element having a coupler head and shank which is connected in `operative relation with the car sill for imparting a pull or a thrust thereto through the instrumentality of the yielding connection known as the draft gear. The draft gear is con-l nected to the inner end of the coupler shank by means of a suitable yoke. The outer end of the car sill is provided with a plate with an opening therein which closely surrounds the coupler shank, which plate is in abutment with the end of the sill so as to form a striking plate. The coupler shank near the Coupler head is provided with a coupler horn which is in spaced relation with the striking plate when the parts are in unloaded position but which is adapted to contact the striking plate to impart a thrust directly thereto and to the car sill when the shank through the maximum yielding of the draft gear is caused to move an abnormal extent, as under excessive compression. The movement allowed for the normal operationot` the draft ear, or in other words, the space provided etween the coupler horn on the coupler shank and the striking plate, is usually about three or more inches.

llt has been 'found in practice that a great number of accidents which result in serious injury to the operator ot the car coupler have occurred by the accidental introduction ot parts ot the body of the operator between the coupler horn and the striking plate. This is readily apparent when it is understood that these parts are on the top of the coupler in such a position and presenting an opening ot such a size that the operator in standon the coupler can place his 'foot therein, it reaching over the coupler when standing on the ground, is apt to accidentally place his hand or arm therebetween. Frequently the thrust which causes an engagement between 'the coupler horn and the striking plate is imparted through a number ot cars :troni a cornparativelj,7 renietc source, and the operator is apt to be caught una ware of the danger and be severely injured.

Tilo this end, the primary object o my invention is to' provide a coupler embodying all the features of the customary tvpe, having a coupler head and shank connected through the usual draft gear construction to the Car sill, provided with a coupler horn and a striking plate which are so disposed relative to the; car sill that accidental introduction of parts of the body oi the operator is prevented.

This and other objects are accomplished by means of the arrangement disclosed on the accompanying sheet ot drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a draft appliance, constructed in accordance with mv invention, and l' Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in crosssection disclosing the relationship of parts when in an unloaded condition.

lhc various novel features of the invenlioii will he apparent from the following description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

.Referring to the drawing, it will be noted that my invention is 4disclosed applied to a drat't appliance ol the customary type which comprises a coupler element 10 having a head 1l and a shank 12. 'lhe shank of the coupler is introduced between the car sill beams 13 and is connected thereto through the instrumentality of a draft gear, not shown, and a yoke la and key 15. rl`he outer end of the sill is provided with a collar 1G which surrounds the'coupler shank in a manner to provide a clearance 17 on the sides thereof for permitting lateral movements of the coupler relative to the sill but with slight clearance as shown at 18 above thel coupler shank. The coupler shank normally rests as at 18 on the collar, but it is free to move slightly both upwardly and laterally. Mounted between the sills 13 and attached to the web portions thereof is the striking plate 19 having a contacting surface 2() and side web portions 21 which are attached to the webs of the sill by suitable rivets 22. The coupler shank is provided on its upper surface with an enlargement in the form ot a shoulder 23 which is otherwise known as the coupler horn. This horn is substantially of the same type provided on coupler shanks ot the customary type .but in the embodiment shown7 is substantially 51/2 inches further removed from the coupler head, thereby presenting an elongated enlargement as shown. "in addition. to the outer ring 16. the opening in the car siil llo is closed by ortions of ithe carstructure designated 24 ent over at theupper end', as shown in Figure Q as at 25, and adapted to overlie a sheet of material 26 positioned across the upper ends of the sill beams 13.

The parts as shown in Figures 1 and 2 are in unloaded position. or in other words, when there is no load on the draft gear, as in the.

act of imparting a thrust or pull to the sill from the coupler, and the striking plate and the coupler horn are so disposed relative to the sill that the gap formed between the horn and the striking plate is housed within the parts of the sill. The movement usually provided between the horn and strikin plate, through which the coupler is permitted to move before it imparts the thrust through the striking plate directly to the sill for effecting a yielding i application of force through the instrumentality of the draft gear, is likewise provided in applicants invention, but the parts are removed a distance inwardly so as to be housed within the sill.

In operation, it can be readily seen that I have provided a draft appliance which embodies all the advantages of the draft appliance of the customary type but which in addition provides a striking plate and a coupler horn so disposed relative to the car sill that it is impossible for the operator to accidentally introduce parts of his body whereby he is in danger of injury. It is to be understood that the essential features of this invention reside in the location of the coupler horn and the strikinv plate relative to the car sill and that these features may be applied to any type of coupler where the danger referred to is present.

I claim:

1. In a railway draft appliance, a coupler shankhaving a coupler horn thereon, a car sill, a strikin plate mounted on and housed within said si l, said coupler shank extending into said sill an extent to house said coupler horn therein when in an unloaded position.

2. In a railway draft appliance, a coupler shank having a. coupler horn thereon, a car sill, said, shank extending into said sill an extent to house said coupler horn therein when in an unloaded position, and a striking plate mounted on and housed within said sill and spaced from said coupler horn.

3. A railway draft appliance comprising a coupler shank having a coupler horn, a car sill and a striking plate, said coupler horn and striking plate bein spaced when in an unloaded position an completely housed within said sill.

4. A railway draft appliance comprising a coupler shank having a coupler horn, and a striking plate, said parts being spaced from each other when said appliance is in an unloaded position but being adapted to contact when under abnormal compression` said parts being completely housed whereby accidental introduction of parts of the body of the operator between said coupler horn and striking plate is prevented.

Signed at Virginia, Minnesota, this 12th day of March, 1927.

WILLIAM A. MCCURDY. 

